Sexual differences in cardiothoracic ratio of non-hypertensive and hypertensive Berom adults in Jos-North

Sex-related differences in cardiac morphology may influence cardiovascular risk assessment. The cardiothoracic ratio (CTR), derived from posteroanterior chest radiographs, is commonly used to estimate cardiac size. This study examined sexual differences in CTR among hypertensive and non-hypertensive Berom adults in Jos-North, Plateau State, Nigeria. A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among 120 third-generation Berom adults aged 22–70 years: 30 hypertensive males, 30 hypertensive females, 30 non-hypertensive males, and 30 non-hypertensive females. Standard posteroanterior chest radiographs were obtained and CTR calculated as the ratio of transverse cardiac diameter to transverse thoracic diameter. Anthropometric and blood pressure measurements were recorded, and data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA. Hypertensive participants had higher mean CTR values than non-hypertensives. Hypertensive females showed the highest mean CTR (0.52 ± 0.02), while non-hypertensive females had the lowest (0.45 ± 0.04). Two-way ANOVA indicated a significant main effect of hypertension status on CTR (p < 0.05), whereas the interaction between sex and hypertension was not significant (p > 0.05). Hypertension is associated with increased CTR in this population, with relatively higher values among females. These findings underscore the importance of considering sex and hypertensive status when interpreting radiographic cardiac indices.

Key Words: Cardiothoracic ratio, hypertension, sex differences, Berom, chest radiography